Anime streaming platform HIDIVE are already eying up their 2027 line-up, announcing its acquisition of streaming rights to the upcoming dark fantasy anime Blade & Bastard. The series is adapted from Kumo Kagyu’s light novel series, which is itself based on the Wizardry video game franchise. Blade & Bastard is set to premiere in 2027 and will be available exclusively on HIDIVE to subscribers in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.
The story of Blade & Bastard follows Iarumas, a man whose corpse is discovered deep within a dungeon and who is later resurrected without any memory of his past life. He spends his days retrieving the bodies of dead adventurers from the dungeon in exchange for a fee, earning a degree of respect for his skill despite being regarded coldly by others. Kept at a distance by the living, Iarumas largely interacts with the dead until he meets Garbage, a young swordswoman who is the sole survivor of a massacred adventuring party. The two then venture further into the dungeon together, with Iarumas searching for clues about his past while contending with monsters, traps and the risk of permanent death.
The anime is being directed by Tomoki Kobayashi, with series composition by Naruhisa Arakawa, character design by Rina Iwamoto, monster design cooperation from Jun Suemi, sound direction by Kisuke Koizumi and music by Hayato Matsuo. Animation is being produced by xingfu. The cast includes Makoto Furukawa as Iarumas, Tomori Kusunoki as Garbage, Daiki Yamashita as Raraja, Saori Hayami as Ainikki and Shion Wakayama as Berkanan.
Blade & Bastard will also be featured in two panels at Anime Expo 2026, held at the L.A. Convention Center. On Saturday 4 July 2026 at 11:30am Pacific in Room 408AB, the Warner Bros. Japan Animation Production Industry Panel will provide an update on the series along with attendee giveaways. Later that day, at 1:00pm in Room 511ABC, the Drecom Industry Panel will host a Q&A session with cast members Makoto Furukawa and Daiki Yamashita.
